CINCINNATI - 30 years after makers of aluminum cans changed the tabs to prevent them from being swallowed by children, a new study finds the problem remains.
Researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Medical Center say tabs on beverage cans today are still potentially unsafe.
Although the tabs are designed to stay attached to the can after opening. The study finds they're still easy to remove and cite 19 cases of children swallowing them from 1993 to 2009 at one hospital alone.
Most of the cases involved teenagers. While most were resolved without surgery, the sharp edges of the tabs can injure the gastrointestinal tract -- and many times do not show up on x-rays.
